Rifle-carrier for mounted troops.



H. W. ARNOLD. RIFLE CARRIER FOR MOUNTED TROOPS- Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

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APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9. I915.

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HARRY WATSON ARNOLD, on BRANDON, MANITOBA, CANADA, AssIeNonoF FIFTY- oNn ONE-HUNDBEDTHS .TO BYnoN 1a. GREEN, or VTELLAND, ONTARIO, CANADA.

RIFLE-CARRIER FonMouNirEn Tnoors.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1915.

Application filed March 9, 1915. Serial No. 13,296.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it"knoin that I, HARRY VVATSON An- NoLD, a subject of the King of Gieat Britain, residing at the city of Brandon, in the Prov- Since of Manitoba, Dominion of Qanada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RifieCarr-iers for llfounted Troops, of which the following is the specification.

This invention relates to rifle holders par ticularly adapted for the use of mounted troops and the objects of the invention are to freely support the rifle in such a manner that the hands of the trooper are unimpeded, to permit of the rifle being automatically released from the saddle grip as the trooper is dismounting, to render the holder capable of ready adjustment to suit men of different stature and generally to adapt the several parts to better perform the functions required of them, and it consists essentially of the improved construction particularly described and set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings forming part of the same.

shield plate 1 of steel or like resilient material suitably incased in leather having slots 2 along the top edge thereof adapted to engage the suspending straps 3 hung from the catches 4 on the saddle tree 5-, the said straps being capable of vertical adjustment by means of the buckles 6 on the ends thereof.

To prevent undue swinging of the shield plate 1 due to the motion of the horse, I

preferably provide vertical slots '7 on'the opposite sides thereof designed to be engaged by the horizontally disposed belt 8 which embraces the girth 9 of the saddle, thereby retaining the shield plate in any desired position. The belt 8 carries a buckle lOcapable of ready adjustment so adapting the shield plate for use under all existing conditions.

The shield plate is particularly designed to engage the rifle and. carry the weight thereof, and to thisend is provided with a gripping member 11 of resilient material I terial incased in leather adapted to embrace the barrel, thereby preventing any liability of the rifle becoming damaged due to rubhing.

It will be understood that under service conditions the bandoleer 15 of a trooper gives additional support to the waist belt so that the latter is not inclined to become unduly displaced due to the weight of the rifle which is further supported from the said belt by means of the adjustable strap 16 pro vided on its lower end with a snap hook 17 taking around the trigger guard and adapted tobe adjusted vertically by the buckIe QO on the top end and buckle 18 on the lower end thereof.

In the use of the holder it will be seen that the rifle is supported in position adjacent to the left hip of the trooper and at the desired height which is regulated through the medium of the strap 18. When mounting, the,

left foot is placed in the stirrup the right being free to be thrown across the saddle.

and when this has been accomplished it will be understood the rifle will swing inwardly,

toward the shield plate 1 and the stock engaged by the gripping member 11 thereon. The action of the trooper is thus unimpeded and his hands are free to give every at tention to his horse. In the act of dismounting it will be clear that when the right'leg is thrown across thesaddle the stock of the rifle becomes automatically disengaged from the gripping member 11 and the rifle free to bevquickly detached and ready for use. By the use of the slots 7 the shield plate 1 can be readily adapted to the right or left side of the horse as is found necessary and convenient.

Fromthis description it will be seen that I have invented a rifle support particularly adapted for use of mounted men, such that ice their hands are left unimpeded and in which the rifle can be readily detached when required for use.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention, within the scope of the claim, constructed without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all mat-- ter contained in the accompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

The combination with a saddle, of a shield plate having slots on the opposite vertical sides and slots along the top edge thereof, an adjustable belt engaging either of the vertical slots and embracing the saddle girth, adjustable suspending straps adapted to engage the saddle and the slots on the top edge of the shield plate, a gripping member formed with two semi-circular arms having their free ends splayed outwardly mounted on the said shield plate and adapted to embrace the stock of the rifle, a retaining member carrying a tubular member adapted to engage with the waist belt of a trooper, an outwardly extending circular guard embracing the rifle barrel and an adjustable strap attached at the upper end to the waist belt and at the lower end to the trigger guard of the rifle, substantially as described. I

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY WATSON ARNOLD.

Witnesses:

RUSSELL B. SMART, PEARLE GARRAOE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. O. 

